Shale stabilization fluids
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsDiankui FU, Daniel KALININ, Soo Hui GOH, Kong Teng LING
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Abstract
A method for treating a subterranean formation containing shale is disclosed including introducing to the subterranean formation a shale stabilizer, a surfactant, and a triggering agent simultaneously with or prior to introducing an alkali silicate to the subterranean formation, and allowing the alkali silicate and triggering agent to react to form a reaction product. Coating the surface of at least a portion of the shale with the reaction product is also disclosed.
Claims20
A method for treating a subterranean formation, comprising:
- a) introducing an aqueous solution comprising i) water, ii) a shale stabilizer, iii) a surfactant, and iv) a triggering agent into the subterranean formation, wherein the subterranean formation comprises shale and is fluidly coupled to a wellbore;
- b) introducing an alkali silicate into the subterranean formation;
- and
- c) allowing the alkali silicate and the triggering agent to react to form a reaction product selected from the group consisting of a silicate gel, an insoluble silicate salt, and combinations thereof.
A method for stabilizing a subterranean formation, comprising:
- a) introducing an aqueous solution comprising i) water, ii) a shale stabilizer, iii) a surfactant, and iv) a triggering agent into the subterranean formation, wherein the subterranean formation comprises shale and is fluidly coupled to a wellbore;
- b) introducing an alkali silicate into the subterranean formation;
- c) allowing the alkali silicate and the triggering agent to react to form a reaction product selected from the group consisting of a silicate gel, an insoluble silicate salt, and combinations thereof;
- d) introducing a conditioning stream comprising water into the subterranean formation;
- e) introducing a subsequent aqueous solution comprising i) water, ii) a subsequent shale stabilizer, iii) a subsequent surfactant, and iv) a subsequent triggering agent into the subterranean formation;
- f) introducing a subsequent alkali silicate into the subterranean formation;
- g) allowing the subsequent alkali silicate and the subsequent triggering agent to react to form a subsequent reaction product selected from the group consisting of a silicate gel, an insoluble silicate salt, and combinations thereof.
A method for providing stability to a subterranean formation, comprising:
- a) introducing a first stream comprising a shale stabilizer and a first surfactant into the subterranean formation, wherein the subterranean formation comprises shale and is fluidly coupled to a wellbore;
- b) introducing a second stream comprising an alkali silicate and a second surfactant into the subterranean formation;
- c) introducing a third stream comprising a triggering agent into the subterranean formation;
- and
- d) allowing the alkali silicate and the triggering agent to react to form a reaction product selected from the group consisting of a silicate gel, an insoluble silicate salt, and combinations thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.